About Spam-O-Matic 2.x:
Spam-O-Matic 2.x (SOM) is a spam firewall for your vBulletin Forums version 4.x and later. It prevents known spammers from registering on your forums. If they can't register, they can't spam!

Languages Packs Available
English
German - Courtesy of Alex@bulletin (included in zip)
Romanian - Courtesy of Teascu Dorin's (included in zip)
Spanish - Courtesy of vbluis (included in zip)

How it Works
This data responsible for blocking user registrations comes from the stopforumspam.com (SFS) spammer database. After the user who is trying to register passes the built-in vBulletin registration checks which you have configured in your vBulletin settings, SOM then checks the SFS database to see if the IP, username, or email address that the user is trying to register with has been recently tagged as a known spam source on other forums around the Internet. Also can be configured to check the Akismet service for known comment spam.

This is without a doubt, one of the most important mods that you will be using on your forum.

Other Notable Stuff
It also does a ton of other cool stuff like moderating posts automatically if the post is found in the Akismet database, or if it contains words on your "Bad Words" keyword list which can be configured within the mod itself.

The mod WORKS with vBulletin's new Facebook integration.
This module works with all of the Facebook functions that are built into the vB4 series.
Similar mods do not handle Facebook integration completely.

This module has the ability to submit new spammer details to the StopForumSpam or Akismet databases automatically, all without any new templates or manual template modifications!

This means other forums that are running Spam-O-Matic will not have the same spammer on their forums if you have (automatically) reported the spammer to the SFS database.

Just install the product in the product manager, upload a few files, configure the system and you are done. (Estimated time: 5-10 minutes)

What's new in 2.1.0:

Fixed a problem with MySQL engine selection to make mod more compatible with different types of servers.

When SOM "Newbies Group" is activated + vB's native option to "Verify Email address in Registration" is activated at the same time, "Users Awaiting Email Confirmation" must click the verification link to become a newbie.

Optional "Newbies" Manager! After registration, newly registered users can be placed in a "Newbies" group which has more limited permissions as compared to your regular "Registered Users" group. Newbies will graduate to your Registered Users group based on your required post count settings.

If a user (or bot) tries to register on your forum and they pass the built-in vBulletin registration system. (Human verification, email verification, etc), their registration details are then passed to the Spam-O-Matic firewall for further checking.

NOTE: You should use some sort of human verification checking in vBulletin's built-in options to limit the number of requests to the already heavily-loaded StopForumSpam database servers. This will also prevent additional load because SOM will not have to do anything if the bot/spammer fails preliminary registration validation which is built-into vBulletin itself.

It is completely invisible to humans who are registering that this process is taking place. Bots are stopped dead in their tracks.

If a spammer is able to sneak past the first line of defense, and manages to post, then there are secondary, tertiary, and, uh...4th level protections too!

B) Auto-Moderation:
Auto Moderation lets you:

Define how many URLs a new member can post before being sent to moderation.

Define keywords that will send a post to Auto-moderation (viagra, porn, more here)

Define minimum post count to avoid Auto-moderation.

Excludes admin and moderators from Auto-moderation.

Completely disable Auto-moderation if you don't want it.

C) Akismet Service
Spammers that make it past the StopForumSpam and Auto-Moderation will be checked against the Akismet service. If they manage to make a post, and then are found on Akismet, they can be auto-moderated.

The Akismet settings let you:

Set the number of posts that Akismet will check from each user. After this number is exceeded, Akismet checking will be disabled for that user.

Auto-Submit spammers that post on your boards back to the Akismet service so that other forums and blogs do not do not receive the same spam.

Completely disable the Akismet service.

D) Newbies Manager
Should you decide to enable this option, you can create a new usergroup and then tell Spam-O-Matic about it. Once SOM knows about this usergroup, and once enabled, all new users will be part of the Newbies group. The idea here is that you make a Newbies group that has limited forum permissions. For example, no signatures, no BB code, no images, and etc. This group is created completely in the vB admincp. Spam-O-Matic simply makes it the graduation process to the normal Registered Users group, automatic.Learn More and Discuss the Newbies Manager here.

Punitive Actions:
If you find a spammer has made it past your 4 front-lines of defense, and has managed to post on your forum, then you can help the community...

The spammer's details can be sent to the Stop Forum Spam and Akismet databases automatically, preventing them from registering or posting on other forums. When other forums do the same, the protection is reciprocated.

Simply moderate a post and choose the option to "Delete Posts As Spam..." an then choose the option to "Ban User." Banning the user sends their details to either Akismet, StopForumSpam, (or both) depending on how you set it up.

API Keys:
API Keys are not required for this system to stop spammers on your forums. But you should obtain them so that your forum can contribute to the real-time block lists.

A StopForumSpam API key is required if you want to contribute to the StopForumSpam blacklists by adding your spammers to their database. By submitting spammers you help keep other forums and blogs clean.

An Akismet API key is required if you want to enable any Akismet auto-moderation features in this module. Akismet API key is not required for all Auto-Moderation functions.

You can obtain a Stop Forum Spam API key which is free from stopforumspam.com.

Works with all of vBulletin 4 functions including Facebook automatic registration.

Report spammers that you find to the Stop Forum Spam Database.

Report spammers that you find to the Akismet Database.

Built-in Auto-moderation.

Auto-moderation rules based on post count.

Auto-moderation rules based keywords.

Auto-moderation rules based Akismet results.

Enable or disable any actions that you do not want.

Customizable "Registration Rejected" message.

Consolidates 4 popular methods of spam prevention into one product.

No Manual Template Modifications!

Lots of community support!

======================Compatibility:
vBulletin 4.0.x

Server Requirements:
Curl or allow_url_fopen must be compiled/enabled into PHP. Ask your web host to enable curl or allow_url_fopen if it is not already available on your server's PHP configuration. (Or just host with GlowHost.com, where it already is

=====================Donations:

If you like this mod, sure, you can donate!

Donations can be all sorts of things:
1) The "Give Thanks" option in your settings is an optional link back to GlowHost Web Hosting.
2) Tell your friends and others about this mod.
3) If you are in need of web hosting, please consider ordering it from the hosting and development professionals at GlowHost.com who were able to develop this mod to you.
4) Help others who are having trouble with this mod by posting tips and suggestions in this forum thread.
5) Cash! Use the "Support Developer" option on the top right of this page.

When you choose to donate, you are contributing to the product development, bug fixes and new releases for SOM and are helping to feed our hungry developers and their families! In other words, your donations helps to cover the time and money spent to develop this system.

The entire team at GlowHost thanks you for your help and support!

We hope you enjoy the mod!

=====================Installation:

1) Download the attached file
2) Mark As Installed
3) SOM 2.x does not support updates from the v1.x series. When upgrading to version 2.x, please, be sure to remove any other existing version of SOM 1.x from the product manager before installing v2.x series. Also make sure to remove /forum/includes/xml/bitfield_glowhostspamomatic.xml from version 1 if you had it installed.

4) Extract the zip file, and view the readme file for the rest of the instructions.

=====================

Original concept credits go to the authors of vBStopForumSpam, MonkeyStop.

Download Now

Only licensed members can download files, Click Here for more information.

You need to add the default skin to do this go to admincp/Styles & Templates/Style Manager/[Add New Style]
Parent Style = No Parent Style
Title = Default Style
Allow User Selection = Yes
Display Order = 1
then test if you still have a problem then remove this plugin and try this one

I can't take it anymore. There are always posts that cannot be approved!!!! It means I have to log in as the user, delete the thread, recreate the thread and then approve it. Is there any way to fix this bug?

I can't take it anymore. There are always posts that cannot be approved!!!! It means I have to log in as the user, delete the thread, recreate the thread and then approve it. Is there any way to fix this bug?

And how are you approving them from admincp or another way. Are you a normal admin or a super admin. Have you ever thought it might be best to turn the approve option to no

And how are you approving them from admincp or another way. Are you a normal admin or a super admin. Have you ever thought it might be best to turn the approve option to no

I'm a super admin yes. I approve them through the drop down notification at the top of the forum next to the login (where the PM notification of new messages is). I have turned it off yes but that is the main feature that prevents spam posts. I don't find the hack stops registration very well. I would like to use it but there seems to be a bug where many posts just cannot be approved.

You need to add the default skin to do this go to admincp/Styles & Templates/Style Manager/[Add New Style]
Parent Style = No Parent Style
Title = Default Style
Allow User Selection = Yes
Display Order = 1
then test if you still have a problem then remove this plugin and try this one

Hi there

I added the sytle sheet as you suggested and it doesn't work so I've removed the add-on.. I am disapointed but will try the other option you suggest. Do you think VB will add spam-o-matic as a basic feature in VB5?

approve them from the admin panel. I have this mod and this mod I have the approve posting turned off and never had any problems so check over all settings as there is more than one place for that setting

I added the sytle sheet as you suggested and it doesn't work so I've removed the add-on.. I am disapointed but will try the other option you suggest. Do you think VB will add spam-o-matic as a basic feature in VB5?

approve them from the admin panel. I have this mod and this mod I have the approve posting turned off and never had any problems so check over all settings as there is more than one place for that setting

yes thats the problem do a revert on them. You really should of got a updated skin for your vb version as your skin is very old also the default skin is wrong you put it as a moblie skin it needs to be no Parent Style that comes under standard style best to delete that one you did and redo it

yes thats the problem do a revert on them. You really should of got a updated skin for your vb version as your skin is very old also the default skin is wrong you put it as a moblie skin it needs to be no Parent Style that comes under standard style best to delete that one you did and redo it

Would you mind explaining in more detail please, where do I get a skin from?

I've deleted the default style and changed it as you said.

I am sorry, but this isn't usually my thing.

I've also deleted the spam-o-matic, should I put it back on once I've done the revert? I'm worried what might happen when I click revert to be honest.